


The Tired Bandit

by PearlTheKnight



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Rise of Kyoshi, The Shadow of Kyoshi
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dorks in Love, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Get this girl a therapist, I Had To, Kyoshi's low self esteem, More like three shot now, Rangi will aggressively care for her, The gay compelled me, Two Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:20:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26065633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PearlTheKnight/pseuds/PearlTheKnight
Summary: Risking her secret love’s good opinion on her, Kyoshi starts dealing with the underbelly of college campus, thinking she has no other choice. But when fate smacks her self doubt in the face, what will she do?  Kyoshi just needs to survive.Fun Rangshi College AU, because this fandom needs more AUs.
Relationships: Kyoshi/Rangi (Avatar)
Comments: 35
Kudos: 191





	1. The Lies of Kyoshi

**Author's Note:**

> It's been so long since I've written anything other than academic papers. I really wanted to create something again and Rangshi lives rent free in my mind so it seemed inevitable.

The incessant sound wouldn’t stop. Kyoshi shut her eyes tight and turned around in her bed, willing the noise to go away. It was no use; her alarm clock seemed to have a personal vendetta against her. Groaning, Kyoshi checked her phone and cursed under her breath as she hurriedly hopped into the shower; they told her not to get the 8AM classes, but she thought the 11:30 class was a safe bet. Apparently, it wasn’t.

To be fair, it was not as if she didn’t have a good reason to oversleep, between working the evening shift at the local supermarket and her… not so upstanding dealings, the hours she actually had to get some much needed sleep weren’t a lot. Kyoshi looked at herself in the mirror and couldn’t help but flinch at the long bags under her eyes that resembled bruises to the untrained eye. With a sigh she applied as much makeup as she could to thoroughly cover her tiredness and freckles.

Rushing out of the 2-bedroom apartment she shared with 3 other people (the only accommodation she could afford), Kyoshi sprinted towards the humanities building, hoping that her Public Law and Organization professor wouldn´t notice her entering the class 10 minutes late.

Sneaking into the first seat in the back row of the classroom as quietly as she could, Kyoshi carefully watched her professor for any sign of annoyance. Hei-Ran was a middle aged woman who was incredibly strict in her teaching and valued discipline over talent; that’s why she also hated those who dared be late for her class. Thankfully, Hei-Ran didn’t acknowledge her except for a slight narrowing of her eyes and continued talking. Kyoshi thought she was in the clear until her eyes came to rest on the other person seated in front of the class.

Sitting on the right side of the professor’s desk, a spot reserved for the course’s TA, was a strikingly beautiful woman, about her age with long black hair styled in a ponytail and warm brown eyes that were currently trying to kill Kyoshi with only a look. Rangi was not happy with her tardiness and she would let her know as soon as the class was over. _I’m so screwed_. 

It was torture to keep her eyes open during the long talks about the limits of the Administration’s discretional powers, not because she thought it was a boring subject, but because Kyoshi had only managed to get 4 hours of sleep that night and maybe around 15 that week in total, if she was being charitable. Nevertheless, she willed herself to be strong and remain awake; Kyoshi didn’t need Rangi berating her for falling asleep in class on top of being late.

After what felt like a lifetime, professor Hei-Ran made an announcement; “Before the class is over, I wanted to remind all of you that the deadline to submit your projects for the Lotus Research Fellowship position ends this Sunday at 11:59 PM. I don’t think I need to remind you that this is an incredible and prestigious opportunity for any one of you and that while it is not a paid position, it does cover the cost of tuition as long as you’re employed.” Then the stern woman looked at her watch and dismissed her students.

She would have run away as fast as she could after professor Hei-Ran had finished talking as to avoid Rangi unleashing her fury onto her, if Kyoshi had been smart and in full use of her reflexes. But alas, she was neither.

“Where do you think you’re going?” The seething voice called up behind her as she was about to rush out the door.

“Just going to the library.” Kyoshi said without looking back at Rangi, knowing full well that she wasn’t able to lie to her face.

“Oh, and here I thought you’d go take a nap now, given how much you struggled to pay attention during the class” Of course Rangi had noticed, they’d known each other for far too long to be deceived.

Still Kyoshi tried. “I just yawned once.”

“I watched you throughout the class. Honestly I’m surprised you lasted that long, you idiot”

“You watched me during the class?” Kyoshi said, trying to change the topic while butterflies appeared in her stomach. It was fun to tease Rangi; ever since they were kids Kyoshi lived for making her long time friend flustered. However, somewhere down the line the teasing had backfired and now Kyoshi was hopelessly in love with Rangi while completely certain that her now TA would never feel the same way. _Better enjoy this as long as I can_.

Predictably, Rangi’s whole face went red but to her credit maintained her composure. “What time did you go to sleep yesterday?”

“I don’t remember”, said Kyoshi, not quite looking at her face

“Goddamit Kyoshi, you can’t just keep on throwing away your future like this, you have to take your studies seriously, your grades are barely passing and…” Rangi stopped mid sentence when she heard Kyoshi’s stomach grumble loudly; she pinched the bridge of her nose with force and asked with barely masked irritation, “When was the last time you ate?”

“I had a sandwich yesterday night.” Sandwich was a charitable description of the last slice of bread she had at home with some stolen peanut butter from her roommate Kirima.

“Somehow I do not believe you”, said Rangi, already taking her bag and walking out the door, “Come on, we’re getting some food on the cafeteria.”

As much as Kyoshi would have loved to accept her friend’s offer, a quick mental check of her bank account said something different. “Sorry Rangi, but I really have to go to the library and study; you said it yourself, I need to take my studies more seriously!”

“You can do that in a few minutes with a full stomach”, Rangi said more as a threat than a fact. “And I don’t believe you will eat properly if I don’t treat you, you big oaf!”

A light blush dusted Kyoshi’s cheeks as she caught up to Rangi while walking towards the cafeteria. Her best friend was still pretty much irritated towards her and so she decided to keep quiet about their previous discussion. Once they arrived at their destination, Rangi bought her the biggest egg and avocado sandwich they offered, alongside a cup of tea with 2 teaspoons of sugar and a splash of milk; she knew exactly what Kyoshi liked.

After the first bite, Kyoshi could have sworn she was about to cry. Truth be told, she hadn’t been eating more than 1-dollar ramen packages, tuna cans and bread with stolen peanut butter for days and this was a much-appreciated change of pace. When Rangi spotted the delight with which she devoured her food, she arched an eyebrow and was about to continue her rant on the wonders of self preservation when Kyoshi interrupted her by asking the first question that came to her mind; she didn’t need Rangi knowing how tight money was at the moment.

“Is your mom pissed I was late for class?” Hei-Ran was Rangi’s mother and had known her ever since Kelsang had taken her under his wing. Despite everything, Kyoshi was at least 30% sure that her professor cared about her. At least in her own, cold way.

“I wouldn’t say pissed… she’s firm”, said the TA carefully, looking away. Kyoshi immediately knew what she meant. It was the same treatment they got when they were kids and returned to Rangi’s home, knees scratched after Kyoshi got harassed in the park and her best friend would chase her bullies around with a stick, “and she told me to warn you not to be late again or she’ll kick you out of the class for the semester.”

“I know, it really won’t happen again.” Looking down at her almost finished sandwich Kyoshi had the overwhelming urge to cry; she was just too exhausted, and didn’t know how much longer she could continue like this.

“Kyoshi, what’s going on?”, Rangi said softly, taking her hand into hers. It wasn’t often that her best friend gave into physical shows of affection, but they were always heartfelt when she did. “You know you can trust me.”

The warmth in her eyes was too much for Kyoshi. She was about to open her mouth and spill all the secrets she had been carrying around for so long to Rangi, but she was interrupted by someone grabbing them both by the shoulders and loudly proclaiming: “Rangi, what are you doing to poor sweet Kyoshi?” Yun suddenly hugged them and playfully ruffled their hair. “Is she ranting about the new definition of cheating in the Honor Code?”

Yun was the last member of their childhood friend group. Tall, handsome and charismatic, he was always the one who was able to talk them out of trouble. He was a young promise of the school and, even though he lacked any connections, everyone knew he was being groomed for a career in diplomacy. Kyoshi more often than not wondered why he stuck around them for so long when everyone wanted to be in his proximity.

Rangi shot Kyoshi one last glance, aware of how close she had been to opening up but letting the subject go for now. Instead she looked at her friend and let out a snarky reply; “As if you had taken the time to read the new Honor Code”, she said rolling her eyes, “It took them long enough to change it, the one before was too broad.” 

“Oh no! Dishonor on our cows!!!”, Yun screamed dramatically while shaking Kyoshi in mock desperation. The two of them couldn’t help but laugh while Rangi continued to fume.

“Laugh all you want, but the cheaters are the worst of the academic community. Taking others’ work, pretending that they have the knowledge needed to be a professional, lying to everyone around them. Absolutely despicable!”

Kyoshi’s laughter died on her lips when Rangi finished her tirade. She remembered the reasons why she couldn’t tell her best friend how she was getting the money she needed to pay for tuition and her own expenses. Rangi would never forgive her, and while having her as a close friend wasn’t the ideal situation in her mind, she wasn’t sure what she would do if she suddenly were to lose Rangi.

“I should probably go now”, Kyoshi said, standing up and drinking the last of her tea.

“But I just got here, let's have some fun!”, Yun whined, “I hardly ever get to hang out with you anymore!” Rangi just looked at Kyoshi with a strange mix of concern and something else she couldn’t quite place.

“Yeah, I know, I’m sorry” She picked up her book, not quite looking at her friends in the face. There was a pang of guilt and nostalgia that went through her that she immediately squished down. “But I really need to get up to speed with Contemporary International Policy before the midterm or I’ll fail that class. I promise to meet you two during the weekend!”

It was only Thursday, by the time the weekend rolled around Kyoshi was certain that her friends would have forgotten about her promise. “Alright, you ungrateful giant, I’ll see you around” Yun pouted. Rangi gave her one last thoughtful look before Kyoshi ran away from them.

Kyoshi pretended to head towards the library, but as soon as her friends weren’t able to see her, she turned around and went straight to her apartment. She had a lot of work to do before her supermarket shift and she wanted to be able to sleep a few more hours today.

Once at her place, Kyoshi put down her stuff in her bedroom and headed towards the common area where her roommates Wong and Lek were playing on their old, beaten up Xbox, loudly swearing at each other. She waved and they barely acknowledged her, too entranced in their game to actually care about Kyoshi. She didn’t take this the wrong way, already used to the importance her roommates placed on their gaming abilities.

“Do you know where Kirima is?”, Kyoshi asked once the round was over, and a furious Lek threatened to kill Wong - a surreal picture when you considered that Lek was barely above 5 feet tall and looked like a high schooler and Wong was just as tall as Kyoshi and had the mussels of someone who spends a decent amount of time at the gym.

“She’s here somewhere”, Wong answered, content with his victory.

“Do you know if she has any Flying Opera mail for me?”, Kyoshi asked using the code they had invented for their dealings. She was hoping for an affirmative answer; she really wasn’t feeling like taking another shift at the supermarket this month.

“Are you done already with the one she gave you on Monday?”, Lek asked surprised, eyebrows shooting up.

“Yeah, I finished it yesterday night.”

“I told you this girl was promising”, Wong cheered a little, gloating. The truth was, Lek had been against their group recruiting Kyoshi, it was too risky in his opinion; she was too close to one professor’s daughter and could ruin everything. They called themselves the Daofei, the most wanted essays, papers and exam dealers on campus. If the Administration caught so much as a whiff of who they were, they’d all be expelled immediately. The risk was high, but so were the prices when you guaranteed an A+.

“She’s alright, I guess”, said Lek, looking away. As much as he hated to admit it, he had warmed up to Kyoshi after some time.

“Of course she’s alright, she knows that many knives await her if she rats us out.” Kirima’s voice came from behind them; she was average height, but looked very short next to Kyoshi - as most people did. She usually had an easy smile and loved to tease her roommate with threats of death if she were to open her mouth. _At least I hope she’s teasing._

“So do you have anything for me?”, Kyoshi asked, eager to get to work and clear her mind of her encounter with Rangi.

“Depends, are you buying me a new peanut butter jar?”, Kirima asked while plopping down on the couch.

“I only took one teaspoon out!”

“A teaspoon for the past few weeks! The whole jar is almost gone!”

“Ughh fine, I’ll pick up a jar when I leave for my shift.” Kyoshi didn’t feel like arguing anymore, partly because she was bone tired and partly because she knew Kirima had a point.

“Thank you, and no, I don’t have anything for you”, her roommate said offhandedly.

“What? Come on, there’s gotta be something!” Kyoshi knew that in this time of the semester things slowed down somewhat, that’s why she never fully got rid of her day job (that and to keep Rangi off her scent), “I really don’t want to pull a double shift next week!”

“Well, there’s something but I was actually thinking of turning it down.” Kirima stood up, rummaged through her bag and threw a piece of paper with something scribbled on it. That was odd, usually paper requests had way more substance to them, more details, suggestions and other ideas they could use. “Some useless nitwit wants to apply to the Lotus Fellowship, but the deadline is way too soon and the dude doesn’t even give us an idea of what he wants to present.”

“That’s gotta up the price on that.”

“Kyoshi, you speak my language”, Kirima said with a short laugh, “It’s a 50 page project, with no suggested subject, no additional readings and a late fee, you could get 500 dollars if you think you can pull it off.”

“Hey! Why does the television antenna get the big bucks here?” Lek interjected annoyed. He liked to compensate for his height by making fun of Kyoshi’s.

“Because she’s lucky she’s a poli sci major, if there’s a bio fellowship, I’ll let you know”, Kirima responded dismissively.

“I could do it”, Kyoshi said. She had an idea of what she wanted to write about, back when she thought she’d had the time. _I wasn’t going to win anyways._ “Can’t guarantee they’ll win, but I could do something decent.”

“‘Decent’ she says”, Wong laughed from his spot on the kitchen, “knowing you, the slacker will probably get at least an honorable mention on the Dean’s list.”

“Alright, I’ll send him the price and the caveat,” Kirima said, reaching for her phone. Their system was as safe as it could get, Wong, who was a computer science major, set up an email server that couldn’t be traced back to them and assured their clients anonymity even from the Daofei members themselves. After the confirmation was sent, the client had to transferred them the agreed amount of bitcoin and they would receive their paper on their email right on time. “I think you can start now, the slacker seems desperate enough to pay.”

“Thanks Kirima”, Kyoshi said, already thinking of what she could do with her extra money, maybe she could treat Rangi to eat something for a change. “I’ll take the rest of your peanut butter then, ok, great, bye!” She left running towards her desk before her roommate could even process what she was saying.

Kyoshi sat down, looked at the scribbled notes of her project idea for the Lotus Fellowship with a little bit of longing… What if she tried this time? What if she for some reason actually won the fellowship, and her tuition was taken care of and her job prospects no longer looked grim? What if she won and for once she could be good enough to be in the presence of Rangi?

Kyoshi was acutely aware of how much she had dishonored herself in the two years she had been in college, of how low she would be in Rangi’s mind if she were to find out. Hell, she was already on shaky grounds because her grades were plummeting and had taken on the habit of sleeping during class. Her crush would never understand the hunger she had known when she was a kid and how much it meant for her to have the type of income the Daofei provided her, even at the cost of her own time and academic life.

It didn’t matter anyways; she had made her choice a long time ago. Those 500 dollars were safe and the fellowship was only a possibility. She wasn’t good enough. And with that thought Kyoshi cracked open her text book and started sketching a rough draft of her project.

*******

It had taken absolutely everything she had out of her to finish the project; she had poured every ounce of herself into it, forgetting for a moment that it was to have someone else’s name on the cover. It was about how public policy geared towards early childhood protection could be shaped by the subjects’ participation. Kyoshi had picked the topic for two main reasons: one because she had already read quite a bit about it, and two because she couldn’t help being passionate about preventing other orphan kids from going through what she had. 

Even though it was Monday morning class with professor Hei-Ran, and Kyoshi managed to be on time, she lost her battle to the lack of sleep and snoozed off while sitting in a corner that she hoped would be discreet enough. Of course, it wasn’t discreet enough for Rangi.

Kyoshi was rudely awoken by a hard slap on the back of her head but thankfully avoided making any loud noises. A few people around her snickered, and Hei-Ran seemed the slightest bit annoyed but otherwise nobody paid them any mind.

“What is going on, Kyoshi?”, Rangi furiously whispered, her voice had a worrisome edge to it and her eyes betrayed more concerned than anger. “I’ve known you since forever and I know this is not you.”

“It’s just the supermarket running me ragged”, Kyoshi deflected, not able to look her in the eye.

“You’re lying to me”, Rangi’s hurt in her voice was clear for Kyoshi and it broke her heart. “You think I don’t notice the layer of makeup covering the bags under your eyes? How you’re spaced out all the time? … How you’ve been avoiding me?”

“Rangi I…” Kyoshi started but she didn’t know what she would say.

“My mom thinks you’re on drugs”, her best friend continued, begging with her eyes. “Please talk to me, I am so worried.”

Before Kyoshi could answer Rangi, professor Hei-Ran glared at both of them and loudly proclaimed, “If you two on the back row think my class is not as interesting as whatever the hell it is you’re talking about, the door is wide open.”

“We are very sorry, professor Hei-Ran, it will not happen again”, Rangi said, bowing her head slightly, trying to regain her TA respect. Her mother just gave her a curt nod and continued the lecture. Kyoshi tried to squeeze her best friend’s hand, but Rangi forcefully moved it away from her.

The tension built between them as they waited for the class to end, both knowing full well that either a heartfelt talk or a screaming match would come after. Kyoshi wasn’t sure anymore which option she feared the most. She decided to focus on her professor instead of her growing inner turmoil.

“Lastly before you go, I am pleased to announce the winner of this year’s Lotus Research Fellowship, who will be working alongside me and a select group of professors making the project they submitted a reality”, Hei-Ran spoke capturing everyone’s attention, excitement bubbling up between the students, “The selected project is titled ‘Listening to the children. How to adequately include them into the public policy making process’ by Yun Beifong.”

Kyoshi felt her world suddenly collapse around her. Before she knew it, she was already out of the door, hot tears streaming down her face.


	2. The Fall of Kyoshi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I know this was supposed to be a two-shot, but now it's a three shot :D  
> I tried to keep it simple, but I couldn't help myself. Hope you are still interested

_Calm down, you’re ok, you’re safe._ Kyoshi was sitting on the floor of her bedroom, biting her knuckles in an attempt to stop crying. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She wasn’t good enough to stand out. She was just good to fool professors into giving random people good grades. She was painfully mediocre and she knew that. Then why did it hurt so much to hear her work had won?

It’s not like she hadn’t seen other people get recognition for her work; it’s what she had signed up for, after all. But the Lotus Fellowship was something else, it was the proof that she had potential and that she could make a change if she were to give her all. It also meant that she was wasting her chances, and maybe it was too late to back out. It was easier to give up when you didn’t want to acknowledge what you were losing along the way.

_This doesn’t change anything._ Kyoshi tried to tell herself. And in a way it didn’t. She couldn’t do anything about Yun getting the Fellowship, unless she wanted to be expelled from the University alongside her Daofei friends. She was still broke but at least had 500 extra dollars that she could use to pay part of her tuition and maybe drown in chocolate ice cream for an entire week. But if Kyoshi was being honest, in a very real way, it had changed everything, she just didn’t know how yet.

Kyoshi was almost completely calmed down when she heard a loud banging on the front door. Not in the mood to be bothered with the outside world, she let Lek get it. It was probably just some take out he had ordered.

“What are you doing here?”, Kyoshi heard Lek say to whoever was outside the door.

“Step aside”, a voice full of anger that turned Kyoshi’s blood into ice came from outside. She heard steps coming towards her and another banging at her bedroom door. “Kyoshi, open up or I swear to God I’ll kick it down.”

Kyoshi knew Rangi well enough to know that her threat wasn’t empty, and that she would be very capable and willing to kick her way through her home. She was a black belt after all. “Rangi, I’m fine just not in the mood for talking right now.”

“You heard her, I think it would be best if you leave”, Lek said, sounding annoyed at the woman barging into his house.

“Leave, Hobbit”, Rangi commanded. Kyoshi could clearly see in her mind what her best friend’s face would look like; the terrifying blazing of her eyes that left no room for dissent.

“Only because I can’t with all your yelling”, Lek said, his voice a mix of embarrassment and fear. “Kyoshi, in the future you have to get a better hold of your girlfriend.”

“You have three seconds”, Rangi replied, reaching the limit of her patience. Kyoshi was only able to hear Lek’s hurried steps and the sound of the door closing. “Open up.” Her best friend turned to Kyoshi’s room.

“Rangi, I really don’t…”

“Why did you do Yun’s project for the Lotus Fellowship?” Rangi’s voice was suspiciously devoid of any emotion when she said that. Kyoshi was left stunned, hearing the last thing she expected or wanted to deal with. Slowly, she stood up and opened the door. As expected, Rangi was standing in front of her, stoic expression, waiting.

“I… didn’t…”

“Don’t lie to me”, Rangi cut her off, emotionless. “I’m tired of your lying.”

“How did…”

“How did I know?” Rangi chuckled, traces of betrayal seeping into her eyes. “Because I know that idiot, he would never even think of that topic. And I know you… or at least I thought I did.”

That hurt more than Kyoshi had expected, but if she was honest, she deserved it. “Rangi, I’m sorry I helped him cheat, I know you must be disappointed.”

“I DON’T CARE ABOUT THE CHEATING!” Her best friend finally broke down, all the anger seemingly turning into distress and hurt. The sudden change shook Kyoshi, not only because she longed to comfort her, but also her honor bound friend was not angry about the cheating? “Why are you doing this to yourself Kyoshi? Why do you insist on letting everyone take what is yours?” Rangi walked towards her, positioning herself in front of Kyoshi, cupping her face with both her hands “You’re so smart and capable, why do you want to hide it from the world?”

A moment passed between them. It might have been a second, it might have been an hour; neither Kyoshi nor Rangi could tell. There was electricity coursing through Kyoshi’s veins, a warmth coming from all the care her friend was showing her. Staring into Rangi’s brown eyes had her hypnotized, unconsciously leaning ever so slightly forward. Her best friend seemed to come to her senses first, dropping her hands and looking to the side with a slight blush on her cheeks.

“Look, whatever feelings you may have for Yun, they are not worth giving yourself up for him.” Rangi wasn’t looking at her at the moment, having difficulty finishing her sentence.

_What is she talking about._ Before Kyoshi could think too much about the implications of what she was about to say, she blurted “I didn’t know it was for Yun”

“What do you mean you…” _Nononononononono_ Kyoshi could pinpoint the exact moment in which Rangi put two and two together. Her eyes went wide, pieces falling into place; disbelief rapidly turning into irritation once more. Rangi took a deep breath while pinching the bridge of her nose. “You’re a Daofei.” 

Kyoshi sheepishly smiled at her, no point on denying it anymore. Rangi laughed, somewhat hysterically and sat down at the kitchen table, hand on her head, unable to stop laughing. “That explains so much, I should have seen it. That’s why the long library nights, your poor grades, your new… friends.”

“Rangi, I need you to promise me not to tell anyone about this, I’d be expelled and back on the streets again.” Even though she was more or less certain that her adoptive father, Kelsang, wouldn’t throw her out, she wasn’t sure she could bare to show her face in his house again after being exposed.

Rangi picked up her bag, took a bunched up plastic bag from inside and threw it straight into Kyoshi’s forehead. “Fuck you” and then stormed out. It took her a minute to comprehend what was happening, that being the first time she had heard Rangi swear, but when she did, Kyoshi looked at the plastic bag on the ground, picked it up and opened it. It was an egg and avocado sandwich.

*******

Twenty unanswered texts weren’t weird, _right?_ Kyoshi had been desperately trying to get a hold of Rangi for two days already. She had visited the library, the little coffee shop her best friend would often visit, the spot under the trees to the side of the north campus where Rangi loved to relax, and, of course, her house. There was no luck, not a single answer anywhere.

When Rangi didn’t show up on her TA chair in Hei-Ran’s class, Kyoshi was prepared to hire a private investigator if that’s what it took. She had known that her work as a Daofei could potentially damage her most important relationship, but before she left her life completely, Kyoshi had to try and explain herself. She had to.

“Hey, what’s a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?” Kyoshi was startled out of checking missing persons’ reports when Yun’s easy smile came up behind her. Kyoshi had to remind herself not to act awkwardly; he still didn’t know anything.

“Hi Yun!!”, Kyoshi cringed at the overly excited manner in which she said that. She cleared her throat and continued, “Haven’t seen you around.”

“Yeah, I’ve been very busy working with Dean Jianzhu on the Lotus Fellowship”, Yun said, casually dropping the fact, leaving the appropriate time for Kyoshi to congratulate him on that.

Mechanically, Kyoshi swallowed the acid from her stomach and replied as expected, “Congratulations on winning, by the way.”

“Thanks Kyoshi, I’m quite excited about what we can do for the children”, Yun said, pleased with himself, blissfully unaware of how deep his words were cutting his friend. “I actually wanted to talk to you about that.”

“Do tell.”

“You see, I’m having dissenting opinions on some of the authors Dean Jianzhu has suggested for me to read, and I know you have some experience on childhood policies, and I was hoping maybe you could help me see their point better?” _That is one way to put it._ While he was hiding it well, Kyoshi had known him long enough to realized that he was painfully out of his depth. “Please? I’ll take you out for dinner if you agree to help me.”

He wiggled his eyebrows, but there was some underlying anxiety in his expression that Kyoshi wasn’t sure had been there in the first part of his request. “Sorry Yun, I’d love to help you, but this week I have a double shift at the supermarket and I’ll be exhausted.” Not that long ago she might have agreed, but Rangi was right, she had to put herself first for once; it was too painful to help him.

“Oh”, Yun said disappointed, he wasn’t used to people saying no to him. “Maybe I could take you out for dinner some other time.”

“Sure, I’ll see you around”, Kyoshi was just about to leave when she stopped in her tracks and asked Yun, “Have you seen Rangi around?”

Yun’s expression seemed to switch to a thoughtful one at first but quickly recovered, “I haven’t seen her in a while, but there’s a mandatory TA training session tomorrow at the Yangchen Hall at 12:00, I’m sure she’ll be there.”

“Thanks!”, Kyoshi said, relieved to finally have a lead. She walked away before Yun could ask her for more favors; she needed to run some errands before she could meet Rangi again.

That night Kyoshi refused any new jobs that came from the Flying Opera mail and tried to sleep as best as she could; no bags under her eyes for tomorrow. Kyoshi didn’t really have a plan but she could only hope that Rangi would give her enough time to make her case. Even though she expected it to be hard to fall asleep because of her anxiety and the fact that she had been going to sleep at 5 AM for weeks, the truth was that having a way forward gave her enough calmness that allowed the exhaustion to get to her.

Kyoshi slept more hours than she had in about a year, splurged on a good breakfast (it even had fruit in it!), and didn’t put on her signature make up. She made her way to the Yangchen Hall at around 11:30, and stood far away enough that she could keep an eye on the students that were entering the room. She spotted Rangi, who was always 5 minutes early to any appointment, and settled herself to wait until the training was over.

It was about an hour after her best friend had entered the Hall when Kyoshi saw her leave, heavy shoulders and a preoccupied expression on her face. She approached her from the side, Rangi, too focused on her own thoughts to realize she was being ambushed. Kyoshi gently walked alongside her and said, “Hey Rangi, can we talk for a bit?”

Sadly, her attempt at being smooth only ended in a startled Rangi who, in surprise, dropped a few of the papers she was carrying. Once she was more calmed, she looked at Kyoshi with resignation and started picking up her notes. “Look, Kyoshi, I’m not going to rat you out if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Kyoshi was taken aback for a moment at the defeat in Rangi’s voice; something painful logged in her chest. “It’s not about that, I just want to explain.”

“You don’t owe me an explanation, you’re an adult.”

“I know, but I want too.” Kyoshi was ready to respect her friend’s wishes and disappear from her life if that’s what she wanted, but this was her last chance and she’d be damned if she let it go to waste.

Rangi looked at her for a moment, brown eyes assessing her friend. Something inside of her gave up; Rangi sighed, looked down, and pointed at the park that was a few meters away. “We can sit down over there.”

Kyoshi let out a sigh of relief and awkwardly headed towards the benches near a small pond. They sat down in silence for a few minutes, both facing the turtles and ducks in the pond and not each other, before Rangi broke the silence, “What did you want to tell me?”

Kyoshi took a deep breath and steeled herself for what was next. “I’m sorry”, she simply said. She had a whole speech prepared, but when she boiled it down, it was just that; She was sorry. “I’m so very sorry I lied to you, Rangi, I was selfish and I was aware of how much you worried about me and I continued anyway.”

Kyoshi was partly glad about them sitting side by side, so she could cowardly hide her shame by looking away, but she also hated it, because she couldn’t bring herself to glance at her friend to gage how she was reacting. “I am also sorry I put you in a position where you had to compromise your moral code for me, where you had to lie to protect something you despise. I know how much honor means to you, and it’s what weighs the most on my conscience.” Tears were starting to form in her eyes, as much as she wanted to swallow them down. _At least I’m not wearing make up._ “And finally, I’m also sorry for being a bad friend. When you first ran out of my house I thought of telling you about the student loans and debts and how hard it was being, but the truth is, I was a bad friend and no matter what the reasons were, I hurt you.” She paused to ground herself “There’s nothing I’d love more than for you to forgive me, but I understand if you don’t want me around anymore”, Kyoshi finished, nearly choking on that last word. A few moments passed and the anxiety was almost unbearable until she felt a pair of arms tackling her to the side of the bench.

Rangi had engulfed her into a hug that almost dropped them both to the ground. She positioned herself into the crook of her best friend’s neck and cried like they did when they were kids. “I don’t want to lose you”, Rangi whispered, low enough that Kyoshi almost thought she had imagined it. They stayed there for a while, both crying, both just enjoying the comfort they provided, until Rangi placed a feather like kiss to Kyoshi’s neck and sat back down.

Their faces were both puffy and red from all the tears, but Kyoshi thought she could spot a bit of a blush creeping up on Rangi’s cheeks. To be fair, same with hers.

“You’re more important to me than whatever work I can have with the Daofei”, Kyoshi said, squeezing Rangi’s hand. “I’ll stop working for them.”

“No, don’t do that!”, Rangi shook her head lacing their hands together, “I’ve been thinking about it, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to understand what you’ve gone through, cause I’ve been fortunate enough to never have to worry about where my next meal is going to come from. I can’t force you to give up on what little stability you have”, Rangi looked down at their hands and blushed furiously before saying, “I was more angry at you assuming I’d tell on you. You mean the world to me Kyoshi.”

Kyoshi couldn’t help herself and placed a quick kiss on Rangi’s forehead. “Thank you”, it was her turn to furiously blush now.

After a few minutes of awkward untold feelings, Rangi picked up her planner notebook and busied herself writing a few dates on it. Kyoshi was curious, “What are you doing?”

“I’m writing down all your upcoming tests”, Rangi answered nonchalantly.

“Why… how do you know my schedule?”

Rangi only looked at her with an expression that could only be saying ‘duh’. She continued writing as she spoke, “As we’ve established that you’ll continue your… work, it was time you had some actual time management that allowed you to focus on your studying and getting proper meals.” Rangi shot a quick glare at her.

Kyoshi was taken aback at first but a surge of warmth coursed through her at the love and support she was getting from her best friend. Life was good.

*******

A few weeks had passed since that conversation in the park outside of Yangchen Hall and things were changing. Kyoshi had continued working as a Daofei, but now she only took jobs in Rangi’s specially slotted time periods - much to Kirima’s annoyance. “You not only told your girlfriend about us, but now she’s taking our best member away? You’re on fucking thin ice.”

“She’s not my girlfriend”, Kyoshi would always say with a blush. But that was the other thing that had started to change; they hadn’t talked about it, but the interactions between her and Rangi had evolved into something … different. Kyoshi didn’t know why it had happened, but they were more physical when interacting. Hands would linger on hands, cheeks and shoulders; heads would fall on laps during their spare time; hugs had become a common occurrence just like when they were 11.

But that wasn’t all. Kyoshi could have rationalized their closeness by telling herself they were enjoying their reinforced friendship after their heartfelt talk, but she knew that wasn’t the whole picture. There were moments in which she would catch Rangi staring at her and instead of looking away they would lock eyes, electricity running through her veins, until someone broke the connection. She had even caught Hei-Ran squinting at them, once after one of their staring matches.

“Then just kiss her already!”, Kirima shouted exasperated the night before, “Maybe then she’ll stop being such a stuck up and let you do your goddamn job!”

“Hey!” was all Kyoshi would say, throwing a pillow at her. It’s not like she hadn’t daydreamed about kissing Rangi since they were 14 years old, but she never dared to hope, never thinking she was anywhere close enough her friend’s status. But there, sitting on her bed, recounting everything that had happened between the two, she dared to hope for the first time. _Maybe… maybe she wants me too._

She felt giddy at the thought, but also incredibly nervous. The more Kyoshi thought about it, the gamble seemed more tempting. Rangi had already forgiven her for being a Daofei, having feelings for her was way lower on the list of Kyoshi’s screw-ups. If Rangi didn’t return her affections they would go through an awkward period in their friendship, but they’d eventually get better. They had already established how important they were for each other.

“Kirima”, Kyoshi called on her roommate, who glared at her. She had been so pissed at her for the past weeks that she even hid the peanut butter. “I need your help”

“Now you want my help”, Kirima said, rolling her eyes.

“What if I do that one Daofei job you’ve told me about today and you give me advice?”

“What kind of advice do you want from me?” Suspicion showed across her roommate’s face.

Kyoshi shuffled her feet looking down, embarrassed at what she was about to say. “I want to ask Rangi out on a date and I don’t know what to do.”

“Uhg FINALLY!”, Kirima said, throwing her arms in the air, “You have a deal. Guys!” She called on their other roommates, “Kyoshi wants some advise on how to romance girls!”

“KIRIMA!”, Kyoshi chastised her - it wasn’t the kind of news she wanted on the front page of the newspaper.

“What? I’m not good with the wooing part of romance”, Kirima defended herself, clearly enjoying teasing Kyoshi. “But if you need some advice on what to do after you two go back to her house, then I’m all yours.” Her roommate wiggled her eyebrows. Kyoshi was already beet red and was about to end Kirima when her other roommates barged into their bedroom.

“Yes! I’ve been waiting for this for so long!”, Wong said excitedly. “You owe me ten bucks”, he said, looking at Lek.

Lek just rolled his eyes and gave him the money. Kyoshi looked at them, anger in her eyes. “You were placing bets on me asking Rangi out?”

“Yes, and if you only had waited until the end of the semester you would have become my new favorite roommate”, Lek said annoyed.

“I’ll kill you all”, Kyoshi said, fisting her hands.

“Nah, you’re a softy. Your girlfriend on the other hand…” Wong shuddered.

Even though Kyoshi only wanted to bury her face into her hands and pretend like she didn’t exist, Lek and Wong had pretty interesting ideas on what Rangi and her could do on their outing. She wouldn’t have guessed it, but Wong had a pretty extensive knowledge of rom coms and most of his ideas ended with a hot air balloon date. Eventually, she had a good idea of what she could do.

“Thank you, I don’t think I could have come up with something like this without you”, Kyoshi said, genuinely grateful. “But if you ever bet on my life again, I’ll send Rangi after your asses.”

Kirima just laughed while Lek and Wong shared a concerned look.

“Here’s the job”, Kirima handed her a nearly blank page with a request for a follow up on the Lotus Fellowship paper she had submitted five weeks ago. Even when the anxiety over that particular fact had all but disappeared, there was still some lingering melancholy over what could have been. “Client says he doesn’t trust the email system”, her roommate continued rolling her eyes, “You’ll have to drop it off at the locker.” They had a locker set up on campus that was usually used for the art projects Kirima completed that couldn’t be sent online.

“I’ll start on it now, tell him it’ll be ready on Friday morning.” It was a two day job, it would take her that night to finish it, and then protocol dictated that she had to drop it off during the wee hours of the morning to avoid prying eyes.

“I missed that efficiency”, Kirima joked, not in an unfriendly manner.

Kyoshi showed her roommate her middle finger and got to work. It was a simple follow up and she already had a lot of research done for the topic so, in less than 3 hours, everything was ready and she was able to go to sleep at a decent time - for her standards, maybe not Rangi’s.

The next morning Kyoshi woke up jittery, anxious energy making her hands tremble. She had to take a few deep breaths before her stomach could accept the hot tea she was trying to ingest. Ever since she was little, every time she found herself in a high stress situation, she couldn’t eat without feeling like she might vomit. And asking out Rangi was as high stakes as it got.

Hei-Ran’s class was a complete blur. If someone were to put a gun to Kyoshi’s head and ask what they had learned that day, her words couldn’t save her. Every so often she would shoot glances to Rangi, sitting on her TA chair, but would quickly avoid her eyes once she looked back, on the irrational fear she could read her mind. Rangi’s frown only grew as the class continued.

Once Hei-Ran had dismissed them, Rangi got up and jogged to where Kyoshi was, seemingly trying to catch her in case she’d flee the scene. If Kyoshi was being honest, part of her wanted nothing more than to go back to her bed, and pretend like she didn’t have a whole plan prepared. _I just hope I don’t throw up on her._

“Hey, what’s up? Are you feeling alright?”, Rangi asked, putting her hand to her friend’s forehead to see if she had a fever.

“Oh, nothing everything’s alright!”, Kyoshi answered unconvincingly chipper. Rangi only had to raise an eyebrow to let her know she didn’t buy it. “Well, I was wondering if you had anything to do on Friday night?”

Rangi seemed confused as to why Kyoshi was acting so weird. “No, do you want to go watch a movie?”

“Not exactly, I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me”, Kyoshi said, holding her breath, hands anxiously fidgeting.

“Why do you even have to ask?”, Rangi responded, even more confused now. “We always go out, if you want to do something other than a movie, I’m down.”

_Why does she have to make this harder than it already is._ She blushed furiously and said, “No, I meant if you’d like to go out with me, as in a date.” At that, Kyoshi couldn’t look at the smaller girl’s brown eyes.

“Oh”, was all Rangi said at first. Not incredibly reassuring. Dread filled every fiber of Kyoshi’s being. She ventured a glance at Rangi and was greeted by a dumbfounded expression on her friend, a blush slowly taking over her whole face. She looked as adorable as Kyoshi had ever seen her. After a few seconds, Rangi seemed to fully process everything and hurried to answer, “ah, yes, yes I’d love to go on a date with you.”

Kyoshi broke into a goofy smile that stretched so far that hurt the sides of her face. “Wonderful, can I pick you up at 7?” Rangi, who was also smiling, just nodded; apparently speaking took too much brain capacity for her at that moment.

Kyoshi waved her goodbye and ran away from the classroom, fearful that her friend might change her mind if she stuck around too long. She did jump and punched the air in victory on her way back to her room.

*******

It was late, Kyoshi really needed her sleep if she wanted her date with Rangi to be perfect, so when her alarm went off at 3 AM to drop off Yun’s follow up paper on the Lotus Fellowship, she made sure to curse him and make it as quick as possible. She dropped the folder into locker 1013 and made her way back to her warm bed.

Unbeknownst to her, a hooded figure was watching her. He had been planning to follow whoever came to drop the folder off, but now that he saw her, there was no reason to anymore. After all, Jianzhu had known Kelsang’s protegé since she was a little kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit's going down next chapter.   
> Any comment, kudos, suggestion, make my day. Thank you for reading and see you all next week!


	3. The Love of Kyoshi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took so long, it was a crappy week, but now I am back.  
> Enjoy the fluff with a side of pain!

Trembling hands carried to carry the food basket she so carefully had prepared onto her borrowed car. Kyoshi usually despised the overuse of cars when there was a perfectly good public transport system that could take them everywhere, but this was a special night, and they had to go to a somewhat secluded area.

It was a nice spring afternoon, not too cold but with a nice breeze that prevented the day from getting too hot. That didn’t stop Kyoshi’s body from anxiously sweating since that morning; she had been up since dawn, fretting over the preparations for her date with Rangi, triple checking with Wong about borrowing his car, her clothes and her surprise. At around 3 PM, right after lunch (which she had barely tried) Kyoshi started preparing the food. She didn’t like to brag, but her skills were pretty good after she had worked as a kitchen assistant; she decided on an assortment of different small foods that she and Rangi could share. Kyoshi had even splurged on Stalknose mushrooms, Rangi’s favorites.

Kyoshi smoothed her thin green sweater once more, she hoped Kirima was right about it; her roommate had all but tackled before she left and had forced Kyoshi to change out of her flannel for something more ‘date like’. It was casual, but also cut in a way that accentuated her curves and showed a little cleavage. Not something she was terribly comfortable with, but she could see the appeal.

Driving to Rangi’s house took only around 5 minutes, but it was enough time for Kyoshi to completely panic all over again; she hadn’t spoken to her best friend since asking her out, with the only exception of the quick text she had gotten this morning, asking her if there was a dress code. Thankfully, she spotted Rangi’s old house right before she jumped out of her moving car. Kyoshi took a deep breath, grabbed the small bouquet of red petunias she had gotten, walked towards the entrance and knocked on the door twice.

With her heart almost beating out of her chest, Kyoshi heard steps approaching, and then the door swung open. Kyoshi’s smile froze on her lips when she noticed to her big dismay that the woman in front of her was at least thirty years older than Rangi. “Hello Kyoshi, please come in”, Hei-Ran greeted her pleasantly.

“Thank you”, Kyoshi managed to stammer after following her professor. Hei-Ran gestured for her to take a seat, while she poured some green tea for the both of them. Suddenly, Kyoshi was acutely aware of the flowers in her hands and awkwardly put them to the side.

Hei-Ran handed her the tea saying, “Rangi will be ready soon”. Her friend’s mother stared at her for a few moments as if she were assessing Kyoshi, making her squirm; then after she seemed content with what she found and smiled slightly while sipping her tea, “I must say, I’m glad you two are finally taking the next step.” Hei-Ran chuckled at Kyoshi’s surprised/terrified expression, then her eyes narrowed and her expression turned harsher, “You better take care of my girl.”

Kyoshi nodded, as solemnly as she could while being scared out of her mind by Rangi’s mother. “I will.”

Hei-Ran seemed pleased with her response, taking another sip of her tea. Thankfully, Kyoshi was saved from enduring another round of awkwardness by the hurried steps down the stairs that made them both look at the stairs in front of the living room. As expected, Rangi appeared in front of them, looking a bit frantic.

“Kyoshi, please excuse my daughter’s tardiness, apparently nothing she owns was up to her standards today”, Hei-Ran said, a smug smile directed at Rangi.

“MOTHER!”, Rangi said, blushing.

If Kyoshi was being honest, she was only vaguely aware of the discussion taking place right next to her, being completely mesmerized by Rangi’s appearance. She was wearing jeans and a simple white shirt tucked in, covered by a red jacket that reached all the way up to her thighs. But Kyoshi was instantly drawn to her eyes, a small dusting of make up covered her face making her eyes shine in the dim living room light. _She’s so beautiful._

Only after who knows how long Kyoshi realized that the room was silent. She blushed furiously, stood up, and awkwardly presented her flowers to Rangi. “You look great!”, Kyoshi said, looking away.

“Thank you”, Rangi mumbled, also looking away. She received the bouquet and quickly placed it in a vase that Hei-Ran had prepared with water while they were talking. “Shall we?”

“Yes, of course!”, Kyoshi said, trying to clear her head. She said goodbye to Hei-Ran, who was watching them with a slight smile, and led Rangi outside. They walked to the car, and Rangi frowned a little at Kyoshi when she opened the door for her.

“Since when do you have a car?”, she asked curiously. 

“This is not mine, I just borrowed it for the evening”, Kyoshi sheepishly explained while turning on the ignition.

“Kyoshi, you really didn’t have to, you know I’m fine with using public transport.”

“I am aware,” Kyoshi said, briefly looking into her eyes before pulling into the street, “but I wanted to do something nice for you.”

Rangi grumbled something unintelligible while the blush returned to her face.

They drove around in comfortable silence, sneaking glances at each other but quickly looking away once they were caught. Only once Rangi noticed they were entering the outskirts of the city did she break the silence. “Wait, where are we going?”, she asked, curiosity evident in her expression.

“You’ll see”, Kyoshi answered with an enigmatic smile.

“If you wanted to take me to a make out spot we could have just gone to the University’s parking lot”, Rangi teased, although a brief flicker of her eyes betrayed her anxiety.

Kyoshi’s eyes widened and she went entirely red, it took everything she had to keep her eyes on the road. “We’re not going to a make out spot!”

Rangi laughed wholeheartedly, tension easing from her shoulders, “Come one, making out with me can’t be that bad!”

Kyoshi didn’t think it was possible to get any redder, but her face somehow managed. _I’ll get a heart attack before this is over._ “I only meant the spot isn’t a place known for making out, not that I would be opposed to it ...”

It was Rangi’s turn to blush now.

They started going up a hill with the car; once they reached the top, Kyoshi checked her watch, glad they were right on schedule and motioned for Rangi to exit the car. She picked up the food basket and a blanket and walked over to the spot she had visited the day before. Kyoshi set everything down and sat on the blanket.

Rangi sat down next to her, taking the small plates and setting them down on the ground. Her eyes shone when she spotted the Stalknose mushroom dumplings her friend had prepared. Kyoshi smiled while pouring some juice into two cups, “Go on, try them!”

“No, I’ll wait until we’re ready.” Ever the proper girl, Rangi continued placing the chopsticks on each side.

“Please, I made them just for you!” Rangi hesitated for a second before reaching for her chopsticks and quickly snatching one dumpling into her mouth. Kyoshi watched her closely and smiled widely at the delighted sounds coming out of her friend. “I’m guessing you like them.”

“If you can cook this well, why do you never eat properly?” Rangi shot back, getting another dumpling. Kyoshi laughed and gently shoved her shoulder. 

They ate for a few minutes, teasing and talking, overall just enjoying each other’s company. It was an old pattern that they had known for years; the easy rhythm with which they so easily fit together was what first drew them to each other. But there was an openness that they had forgotten along the way with all the lies and responsibilities that only now was coming back and left them drunk off one another. It was such a comforting feeling that Kyoshi almost forgot the reason they were there.

“Thanks for bringing us here, Kyoshi”, Rangi said, after smiling for a little too long at one of her friend’s dorky jokes. There was real warmth in her expression that made Kyoshi’s stomach fill with butterflies. “It’s quite beautiful.”

“That’s not the only reason”, Kyoshi said, looking at her watch _Only one more minute_ “Get up”, she offered Rangi her hand to stand up, “Can you see that building below?” Kyoshi asked, pointing at the medium sized oval shaped building with a hole in the middle that sat right below the hill they were standing on. “That’s the Ba Sing Se Opera House, and I happen to know that today the Caldera City Orchestra is set to perform.”

Rangi seemed confused at the apparent random trivia she just got from her friend, until the notes started to flow. Kyoshi looked expectantly, she knew Rangi liked to listen to the ‘Fire Music’ style the Orchestra was known for, and if she was being honest, the fast beat of the drums combined with the melody of the bronze section made for a quite an exciting listen.

Rangi looked shocked at first but then turned to Kyoshi, biting her lip to suppress her joy “You’re an idiot”, she said, bumping their shoulders jokingly.

“What did I do now?”, Kyoshi asked, also smiling.

“You just are”, Rangi said, rolling her eyes.

They stood there, side by side, listening to the music until Kyoshi noticed Rangi’s foot tapping beside her to the beat of the music. She extended her hand, a teasing smile on her face, “Wanna dance?” 

Rangi’s face turned an adorable shade of pink and she shook her head, “You know I’m not much for dancing.”

“I’m not either.” Kyoshi really wasn’t, but at that point she felt bold and silly. She hadn’t felt this happy in so long, that the giddiness of the setting, and her best friend next to her left her feeling capable of facing down an army. So Kyoshi took the first step, putting her hands on either side of her chest and flapping her elbows, “This one is called ‘the chicken.’”

“You can’t be serious”, Rangi started laughing, covering her face with secondhand embarrassment.

“Oh, I am”, Kyoshi replied, putting more energy into her dancing. Rangi shook her head but eventually joined in with her own take on dance moves. Kyoshi had never heard of the ‘Turtle Duck’ but couldn’t say she wasn’t enticed.

They danced like drunk uncles at family barbecue for the remainder of the song, making sure the other was able to breathe properly after the fits of giggling that periodically got to them. After a particularly strong laughing fit, Kyoshi put her hands on Rangi’s back to try to sooth her, while still shaking herself. Rangi turned around, smile in her eyes, not realizing how close their faces were.

They stayed like that, breathing heavily, for what felt like an eternity until the spell was broken when the song ended. They both looked down, completely aware of what had been about to happen, but too shy to go through with it. Instead, once the new song started, Rangi extended her hand towards Kyoshi, a silent invitation.

Kyoshi took it, and they swayed completely ignoring the beat of the music coming from below, completely entranced in their own world. There were no thoughts, nor any anxiety; they just felt peaceful, it was the natural progression of their relationship, as inevitable as the flow of a river. Maybe deep down they had always known. Kyoshi placed her forehead against Rangi while they continued moving. Rangi stood up in her tiptoes to brush their lips together.

Their first kiss wasn’t like in the movies. It was awkward, their noses got in the way, Rangi’s lips were chapped and their height difference forced Kyoshi to slightly bend her knees to reach her. None of them care though. The kiss was gentle, soft and caring. It was barely the lips brushing together, Rangi’s hands cupping Kyoshi’s face and her thumbs caressing her cheeks in a circular motion, but the whole world dropped away for a second. 

They separated after what could have been either an hour or merely a second, neither knew nor cared to find out. It was only then when everything hit them all at once, they both blushed intensely while they again became aware of the music in the background. Kyoshi could only look to the side while smiling to herself.

“So you did take me to a make out spot after all”, Rangi broke the silence, her hands still on Kyoshi’s shoulders, a teasing smile hiding her shyness.

“I don’t think just one kiss can qualify this place as a make out spot ...”

“Well, we can definitely work on that”, Rangi said, kissing Kyoshi again, knocking the air out of her lungs for the hundredth time that day.

The kissing grew more passionate at times, hands tentatively exploring new territory, full of pent up longing that had been festering for years; it was after one of these times that Kyoshi found herself laying on the picnic blanket not really remembering how she got there. Other times, the kissing was slow and loving, full of all the care they had for each other, with clashing teeth when they couldn’t stop smiling.

“It’s getting late”, Rangi murmured against Kyoshi’s lips, pointing her words with a peck.

Kyoshi opened her eyes for the first time in a while and discovered that indeed, it was already dark around them. The last part of her date plan was to watch the sunset but she couldn’t say she was particularly sad about how things turned out. “It really is”, she said, not really wanting this dream to end.

“We should be getting back”, Rangi repeated, but not moving either.

“We really should”, Kyoshi was about to continue kissing her Rangi, when the thought of Hei-Ran’s wrath made her reluctantly move. They gathered up all the things they had brought and, hand in hand, went back to Wong’s car.

The ride back was silent, but it was a different kind as before. When they had first met that day, the air was filled with anticipation, anxious energy filling the car, keeping them from talking too much. Whereas now, there was a peace that neither knew they were longing for, but that only after it had arrived, they knew they were missing.

Once they got to Rangi’s house, neither one wanted to move. Kyoshi could see Hei-Ran’s silhouette through the living room window, which made her blush when she realized that Rangi and her had slightly swollen lips and dreamy looks. “So, would you like to watch a movie during the weekend?”, she asked, suddenly shy again.

“I call dibs on picking it”, Rangi said before kissing her goodbye and exiting the car.

Kyoshi stared at her until Rangi disappeared behind her door. After that she headed home in a daze, returned the keys to a smiling Wong, endured the teasing of her roommates (though not entirely undeserving) and finally plopped down on her bed next to her unopened mail.

Kyoshi still wasn’t completely sure she wasn’t dreaming, so in an effort to ground her she started opening her letters; they reminder that she had to pay her phone bill surely would confirm her that the entire date actually happened. She was only kidding herself as she only half-read the letters. There was one form Kelsang asking how she was (he still refused to get an email account), another one from the school’s Student Division asking her presence for Monday, _probably to remind me I’m late on the tuition payment again,_ and the last one indeed from her phone company.

All was well in the world. Kyoshi fell asleep with a goofy smile on her face, replaying her date over and over again.

*******

The weekend was beyond Kyoshi’s expectations. She had spent so long imagining how to ask Rangi out that she forgot to even think about how actually dating her would be. To be completely fair, it wasn’t too different to how they were with each other when they were just friends; she did already spend much of her time together, but the fact that they could hold hands, kiss her and stare at her for however long she wanted without seeming creepy made Kyoshi’s heart flutter.

Rangi was seemingly keeping it together better than she was, but Kyoshi had caught her unconscious touches becoming more common, less subtle. And the teasing. Kyoshi should have known Rangi would expand her teasing to their newfound relationship. She wasn’t complaining per se, she was just worried a heart attack would kill her before the lack of sleep would.

At the moment they were reviewing a few notes on the cafeteria, enjoying their jasmine tea. Kyoshi had to admit she wasn’t really paying attention to her studies. Maybe she just enjoyed how Rangi wrinkled her nose when she was focusing on something important.

“You know your dopey smile won’t help you pass this class, right?”, Rangi said without looking up from her book, annoyance in her voice but unable to keep a slight smile off her lips.

Kyoshi blushed briefly and scoffed. “I got it covered.”

“Sure you do”, Rangi said, rolling her eyes and finally looking at her. A glint of mischief passed through them as she leaned towards Kyoshi, “Tell you what, you finish studying with complete focus for the next hour, and we can do other things later.”

Kyoshi swallowed thickly. “Other things?” Rangi only nodded, satisfied with the response she was getting. Sadly, Kyoshi looked at her watch and hung her head disappointed. “I can’t do another hour, I have to be at the Student Division in fifteen minutes ...” Kyoshi finished the rest of her tea, gathered up her stuff and pretended to lean in to kiss her goodbye - instead, her face dodged Rangi’s and she whispered in her ear, “I’m looking forward to learning what those other things are.” And with that, Kyoshi quickly pecked at her jawline before leaving.

Kyoshi turned back to look at Rangi once before exiting the cafeteria and was pleased to see the complete redness in her face. It was nice to know she could turn the tables on her.

She arrived at the Student Division Office with about five minutes to spare, let the secretary know she was here and waited her turn to talk to the tuition collector while playing on her phone.

“Miss Kyoshi?”, the woman called her, “Dean Jianzhu will see you now.”

“Dean Jianzhu?”, Kyoshi asked confused, “What is this about?”

The secretary just shrugged and continued working. Kyoshi walked up to the office with trepidation. Inside there was a man a few inches shorter than her, with bright green eyes and black hair that was starting to show streaks of white in it. She had seen him a couple of times while growing up; he used to be a close friend to her adoptive father, Kelsang, but never paid much attention to Kyoshi herself.

“Miss Kyoshi, please come in”, Jianzhu told her with a smile that left Kyoshi feeling uneasy.

“You wanted to see me, sir?”

“Yes, please take a seat”, he said, motioning to her. “I’m going to be direct with you Kyoshi, I think you have a brilliant mind, and a very promising future ahead of you.”

“Thank you?” Kyoshi didn’t know where he was going with this, she was an incredibly average student if not below, she had never stood up in the crowd, and had nothing exceptional to show except for Rangi.

“Yes, me and professor Hei-Ran were very impressed by your submission for the White Lotus Research Fellowship.” 

Kyoshi froze in place; eyes went wide before she could control them, and a cold sweat started running down her back. “I… I think there must be a mistake, I never submitted anything for the Lotus Fellowship.”

“Ah but you did, it just had a different name on the cover, didn’t it?” Jianzhu waited to see if she said anything before continuing. He took out her paper with Yun’s name on it from his desk and started going through it. Kyoshi’s mouth went completely dry. “I must admit, I haven’t seen such creativity and passion for a long time ...”

“That 's not…”

“And I even think - in my humble opinion - that it’s your best work”, Jianzhu continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “Your brilliance shone through in your other works, they caught my eyes immediately.” He took other papers from his desk that she recognized as her Daofei jobs; contemporary comparative politics, macroeconomics, law and policy. “I have been looking for you for so long, the Daofei really stepped up their game when they recruited you.”

“I…”

“There really is no point in denying it, Kyoshi.”

He was right, she had been caught. “How did you know?”

“That Yun’s work wasn’t really his?” Kyoshi shrugged. “It was very obvious to me after the first meeting I had with him, the boy had no clue what he was talking about but tried very hard to pretend like he did. I went over the paper and it seemed familiar, it was the same writing style I had caught in Daofei works of social sciences.”

“And how did you know it was me?”

“After I… convinced the boy to come clean, I asked him to request a follow up to the Daofei, and you’re the one who showed up at 3 AM to deliver the paper.”

Kyoshi felt her eyes fill with tears that she refused to let fall. It was all coming to a head, the one thing she had been dreading since she decided to take Kirima up on her offer. She thought of Rangi and almost laughed at the huge ‘I told you so’ she would get. “What’s going to happen to me?”

“I want you to take your rightful place as the winner of the White Lotus Research Fellowship, and help us make your project come true”, Jianzhu told her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“What?” She couldn’t have heard correctly, Dean Jianzhu couldn’t be rewarding her after breaking about half of the University’s regulations.

“I am being serious, Kyoshi, you’d be an invaluable asset for us.”

“But why?”

“Take it as me looking out for the prestige and future of this institution”, Jianzhu answered lightly, “This offer, however, comes with two conditions. First, you must promise to stop doing Daofei works, I think that’s obvious.”

“Yes, of course”, Kyoshi eagerly agreed.

“And second, you must give me all the names of the members of the Daofei.” And with that, Kyoshi’s budding hope was crushed under a mountain of guilt and regret. If she took that offer I would mean to sell all her friends out.

“I work alone”, Kyoshi desperately tried to convince him. It was a weak lie and they both knew it, but she had to try. 

“Kyoshi, I know I said you were brilliant, but lying is not your forte”, Jianzhu dismissed her with a wave of his hand, “Not even you can pull off an array of Math, Biology and Arts projects in the same week. There has to be more people in this. I want their names.”

“I don’t know anyone else.”

“Kyoshi, please, you don’t have to give them to me right now”, Jianzhu spoke like a caring father, amused with the antics of his children, “Take until tomorrow, same time to give me an answer that will make Kelsang proud.”

That was a low blow and he knew it. “What if I simply don’t know anyone else?”

“Then you’ll find them out or I’ll be forced to believe you were working alone and you’ll have to take the full force of their punishment.” Jianzhu smiled and before Kyoshi could answer, he stood up and walked to open the door. “I am confident you will make the right choice, Kyoshi.” 

After exiting the office, Kyoshi walked aimlessly around campus, crushing anxiety heavy on her chest, refusing to let it all sink in. She went to the small orchard on the north side of campus and sat down under an apple tree that offered some cover from the sun. She hid there, escaping her shame, silent tears streaming down her face. _Just as everything was looking up for me._

She didn’t know how long she sat there motionless, not even moving to clean the tears from her face. The sun had started to go down, no longer mocking her anguish, but painting the sky a more muted orange when she heard her name being called. Of course Rangi would be worried about her, she checked her phone and saw there were fifteen missed phone calls from her. She just kept on worrying her for no good reason.

Kyoshi didn’t feel like talking to anybody, especially someone who had repeatedly warned her about the dangers of her line of work. She didn’t deserve Rangi.

But Rangi was anything if not relentless, searching swiftly and meticulously all around the orchard when she spotted the girl that really wanted to blend into the foliage. “Thank God, there you are!” Rangi got down on her knees and hugged Kyoshi as hard as her arms allowed her. “I got worried you did something stupid.”

Kyoshi’s throat hurt to even think about what she had to do now, but it was for the best. “Rangi, I don’t think we should be together anymore ...” She couldn’t drag her down with her anymore.

Rangi didn’t even flinch, just continued hugging her, “You have rocks for brains if you think I’m going to leave you alone now.”

“Rangi, please understand, I actively threw away everything I had ever worked for, I can’t offer you anything but disappointment. You deserve better than me.”

At that, Rangi forcefully pushed her away from herself, and fiercely looked into her eyes, anger simmering under the surface. “Don’t you ever say that. You’re the kindest, most hardworking person I know. The only reason you’re in this situation is because the system is messed up and punishes people who are brilliant like you but that don’t have the good fortune to be born into money.” Her eyes softened and Rangi kissed her softly once more, putting some of Kyoshi’s anxiety to rest. “Don’t you dare speak about my girlfriend like that, ever again.”

Kyoshi felt like crying all over again, and this time she didn’t hold back, she sobbed into Rangi’s shirt until it was soaking wet. The sky was completely dark by the time she was able to speak again without hiccupping. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s nothing, I can clean it later”, Rangi said, understanding but ignoring that the apology was for more than just her shirt. 

“How did you know what happened?”

“My mom called to give me a heads up”, Rangi said carefully, “Dean Jianzhu let all the professors know that there would be a few changes with the Lotus Research Fellowship this morning, apparently your name came up a couple of times.”

“Your mother must hate me now”, Kyoshi said half jokingly; she knew that Hei-Ran, just like her daughter, was a woman of principles.

“Not going to lie, she’s disappointed.” The statement stung Kyoshi all over again. “But she still cares about you. She called me specifically so I could be there for you.” It was comforting to think that she could still rely on the woman who offered her a scolding and lemonade when they were twelve after she let some of the kids punch her in the courtyard.

They stayed quiet for a few more minutes after Rangi tentatively asked, “What are you going to do?”

“There’s nothing to do, really”, Kyoshi sighed in defeat, finally able to look at her situation in a more rational manner. “I have to face everything tomorrow, make a few phone calls to apologize to some people and figure out what I’m going to do from now on.” Mainly Kelsang, he had given her the few opportunities she had had in her life. And she had wasted them.

“I will be with you every step of the way”, Rangi said, strong conviction in her voice. Kyoshi had no idea what she did to deserve her. She wasn’t a religious person, but she would thank God everyday for putting Rangi in her path.

*******

As it turns out, being expelled from University wasn’t the life-altering event like it felt inside Kyoshi. The moment it happened was even more anticlimactic than she expected. She just walked into Dean Jianzhu’s office at the set time, told him she was the funding and only member of the Daofei and that she would face all punishment he saw fit.

Dean Jianzhu’s response was a simple “Disappointing” before signing the expulsion decree he had already printed. _I suppose he must have seen it coming._

Rangi had been waiting for her outside the Student Division Office, and took her immediately for ice cream and cuddles. If she was being honest, receiving the confirmation of her expulsion had been the easy part, after all, Kyoshi had been expecting it, and had made her peace with it, as much as she could. The hard part was talking to her people afterwards.

Sitting next to Rangi, with her girlfriend’s hand in her own, she called Kelsang. Kyoshi came clean about all her dealing during college, the struggles she had gone through with money, how she found an incredible group of friends and roommates who had taken care of her and how even when it meant she could have solved all her problems, she didn’t even consider to betray them.

By the end of her rant, they were both crying loudly. _It seems like it’s the only thing I do lately._ Kelsang apologized for not realizing how she had been struggling, to Kyoshi’s immense surprise, he reassured her he still loved her and that while he was not proud of what she had done, he was proud of her for the loyalty she showed. He finished with a “We’ll figure it out.”

It still weighed on her conscience all the pain she was causing her adoptive father, even when he didn’t say it she could hear it in his voice. Kyoshi vowed she would never disappoint Kelsang again. Even after all, she was glad she could still call his house her home. 

Kyoshi took a few minutes to gather herself up and then, to Rangi’s surprise, she called Hei-Ran. Their conversation was shorter than with Kelsang. Kyoshi knew that the almost military-like woman wouldn’t be swayed by sentimentalism and therefore did not try to explain her reasons behind her actions. Kyoshi instead apologized for being a Daofei, promised to not get involved in any future scandals and to take care of her daughter.

She got an earful that lasted about half an hour about what it meant to have integrity and honor, how one needed to respect their skills and not propel people who didn’t put in the effort to get better. She finished saying that she expected better of her new daughter in law in the future, and that she expected them both for lunch on Saturday to go over application deadlines for new universities.

Kyoshi was more than shocked at the turn of events. Not only Hei-Ran still tolerated her, she had even called Kyoshi HER DAUGHTER IN LAW. “I have to say, you mother reminds me of you when she gets that intense.”

“Please, I go way easier on you”, Rangi said, soft smile that conveyed so much more emotion than words ever could. She would never say it, but Kyoshi knew how much Hei-Ran meant to her girlfriend and she decided to regain her respect.

After that, Kyoshi headed home with Rangi by her side to face her roommates. She had purposefully not told them about the deal Jianzhu had given her, so they wouldn’t get too anxious. And she was right, at first panic ensued, that was later replaced by anger at her omission and finally a solemn gratefulness at the cost Kyoshi had paid to keep her Daofei brothers and sister a secret. 

“I knew we made the right choice with you, kid”, Kirima said with a slight nod, “as it is tradition in this household, we now must repay the sacrifice by getting Kyoshi black out drunk.”

“YES!”, Wong and Lek shouted, while Kyoshi and Rangi looked confused.

“Come on, firecracker”, Kirima continued, “You already know about us, so you might as well be a Daofei.”

Rangi’s face turned completely red in anger, but refrained to make any comments to either her status or the nickname. After that, Kyoshi’s memories of that night get a little hazy. All she knows is that she woke up the next day on the floor of her room with her girlfriend sleeping on her bed and a video on her phone of Rangi and Lek drunkenly singing karaoke in a jam packed bar.

Maybe she wasn’t so alone after all; she had people in her life that loved her unconditionally.

A few weeks went by. Kyoshi had looked into different programs that would accept a disgraced student from a top university, and she had a few options. In the meantime, Kyoshi had convinced her roommates to slowly transform their business into a tutoring one, with mixed results. The money wasn’t as good, but the risks were non-existent. She knew they continued the Daofei work, but those days were over for her.

As for Rangi, she was basically the fifth member of their house, given that she spent so much time with Kyoshi already. She even got an honorary Daofei card from Kirima, which was promptly thrown back at her laughing face. “You guys have cards? How did you not get caught before?”

Kyoshi didn’t have the heart to tell her Kirima was just trying to get on her nerves again. Watching their bickering had become one of her favorite pastimes.

One day it was just Rangi and Kyoshi sitting in the living room in companionable silence, enjoying each other’s presence when a knock on the door startled them both. Nobody ever came to visit them, and all of Kyoshi’s roommates had their own keys.

Frowning, Kyoshi got up and opened the door. Outside, there was a bald man wearing a professional suit and a bright orange tie. His features were friendly and he smiled as soon as she saw her. “Hello, is this Miss Kyoshi’s residence?”

“Yes, I’m Kyoshi”, she answered, even more confused.

“Wonderful”, the man said, apparently genuinely happy to see her .“My name is Jinpa, I work for the White Lotus Foundation, may I come in?”

“Yes, of course”, Kyoshi said after a moment of hesitation; if he was a murderer, she was sure Rangi could take him.

“Miss Kyoshi, I am so sorry to drop by unannounced but getting your name, let alone your contact information has been incredibly difficult”, he said, settling into one of the chairs in the small kitchen. “Dean Jianzhu was really not eager to cooperate.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but what is this about?”, Kyoshi asked, encouraged by the attentive gaze of her girlfriend.

“Yes, of course you must be confused”, Jinpa smiled apologetically, “We, as the White Lotus Foundation, were very impressed by the project submitted by the University, we believe it had the potential to make a real impact in infancy policy making. However, as you might be aware, the university withdrew their candidate without a reason.” The man furrowed his brow as if that information upset him. “I was tasked with the mission of finding out why, and then finding the author of said project.”

“I’m so sorry, Mister Jinpa, I wasted yours and your foundation’s time”, Kyoshi said, only now realizing that she had even more people she had to apologize to.

“No need to apologize”, Jinpa said good-naturedly, “We know now the reason why the candidate was withdrawn, we also know that you were given the choice to continue but you didn’t take it. But that’s not the reason why I’m here.” He reached towards his suitcase and took out a few papers from it. “We are impressed by your work, and while we generally frown upon academic dishonesty, we are aware of the sacrifices people need to make in some cases. So, we wanted to offer you a job as junior researcher helping us implement your project and whatever new ideas you might get.”

Jinpa slid the papers in front of Kyoshi. They were a contract offering her a fulltime job, with a monthly salary that quadrupled what she usually made with the Daofei. “I don’t know what to say”, Kyoshi was truly out of words.

“Please do take your time to think it over.” Jinpa got up and also put his business card in front of her, “Give me a call before Friday.”

“Yes, thank you very much!” It was the only thing Kyoshi could say, too stunned to do anything else. Once the man was gone, Kyoshi turned around and found Rangi smiling widely, she grabbed onto her like a koala while loudly congratulating her.

“Kyoshi, do you know how monumental this is?” Rangi could barely contain her excitement. “The White Lotus Foundation is at the forefront of most policy changes not only here, but around the world!”

“I still can’t believe it”, Kyoshi said, only now processing what had just happened, “I have a legit job, doing something I love. Rangi this is huge!” Kyoshi kissed her deeply, feeling so content, that a crazy idea popped into her mind. “You know, I could even afford my own place with that salary.”

“Finally!”, Rangi said, trying to pretend like she hated Kirima, Wong and Lek. She didn’t fool Kyoshi though, she knew that her girlfriend had grown to care for those dumbasses.

“I was wondering, given that we already spend ninety percent of our time together ...” It was a spur of the moment decision and Kyoshi didn’t have a speech or a fancy date planned so she looked to the ground ready to backpedal if Rangi didn’t like the idea, “maybe it would be cool if we just were to live together.”

“It would be cool, huh?”, Rangi said with sarcasm.

“Well, it was only an idea, I know it’s a little soon and…” Kyoshi was silenced by a long kiss from Rangi who couldn’t stop smiling all the while.

“You idiot, of course I would love to live with you!”

And looking into those brown eyes, Kyoshi knew she wasn’t alone, she was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the end. Thank you so much to everyone who has been following this story, every comment and kudo really made my day and writing again was a breath of fresh air in between work.   
> If you want to get in touch, my tumblr is @noirlawyer, come if you have an idea of what I should write next or even if you just want to say hi!  
> Lastly, especial thanks to my girlfriend, who had to put up with me through out this chaotic writing process. 
> 
> Take care everyone!

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you like it. All comments, suggestions, and grammar mistakes (english is not my first language) are greatly appreciated. Big s/o to my girlfriend for beta reading this. Next chapter will be here next week!


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